AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

March 30, 2022

Anna Davis

Quick Quotes

Q. Good round. What did you do well today? And just give us an overall assessment of your round and what allowed you to shoot 2-under.

ANNA DAVIS: I think it was mostly like scrambling. The greens were very firm, so I didn't hit very many of them, but I'm just getting shots up and down for par and stuff like that.

Q. You're obviously one of the youngest players in the field. Do you feel like one of the youngest players in the field?

ANNA DAVIS: Kind of, yeah, because usually when I go to events, I know the people who are playing, and I don't know a lot of the girls here. So I kind of feel like an underdog kind of.

Q. Do you play well as an underdog, do you think?

ANNA DAVIS: Yes, there's not as much pressure on you to play super well.

Q. When's the last time you felt like an underdog in a tournament?

ANNA DAVIS: Probably about a year ago. It was like my third AJGA. It was at the Heather Farr. That's probably like the last time I felt like I was an underdog in an event.

Q. Did you win there?

ANNA DAVIS: I did.

Q. By how many shots?

ANNA DAVIS: It was like by one, yeah.

Q. But you rolled at the Junior PGA, like seven shots. Is that right?

ANNA DAVIS: Yeah.

Q. What's the best part of your game, for those who don't know?

ANNA DAVIS: Probably iron play. My approach shots into greens. I can usually hit it pretty close most of the time with long irons. So I think that's probably the biggest part.

Q. You have a twin brother?

ANNA DAVIS: I do, yeah.

Q. What's his name?

ANNA DAVIS: Billy.

Q. Who's better?

ANNA DAVIS: I don't know. I think he's a better ball striker, to be honest. Everybody knows him for his ball striking. I don't know. I haven't played with him in a while. Usually we have matches, but it's pretty back and forth, I would say. I don't think there's anybody who's better.

Q. What's your guys' relationship like? Are you competitive? Are you nurturing towards him?

ANNA DAVIS: I kind of see him more as my little brother kind of. I feel like I'm more experienced in some things that he doesn't. So I kind of nurture him, I would say.

Q. You mentioned you guys haven't played. Is that just because of scheduling?

ANNA DAVIS: I do online school right now, and he goes to this all boys catholic school where my dad works. So he's in school a lot more than I am. So I'm at the golf course a little more than he is. So our schedules are a little different, especially in the spring too because I'm out playing.

Q. Anna, it looked like on 17 you went for one more club; is that right? In the wind?

ANNA DAVIS: No, I clubbed down. I hit last on purpose. I saw all the other girls, and their ball was flying straight through the wind. So I clubbed down and hit a 7-iron.

Q. They had the honor?

ANNA DAVIS: Yeah.

Q. And then on 18 you hit first?

ANNA DAVIS: I did, yeah. I like to walk ahead. I hit pretty fast, so I like to walk ahead of the girls.

Q. Did you have the honor on 18?

ANNA DAVIS: I think so, yeah.

Q. Take us through that last hole. I mean, it's always nice to finish with a birdie.

ANNA DAVIS: My chip kind of missed from part of the green, but I hit the pin. Good thing the hole was there. I hit the pin and went like a few inches away, so that was nice.

Q. So it would have been -- you think you could have saved par?

ANNA DAVIS: It would have been in the rough over here.

Q. You would have had to get up and down?

ANNA DAVIS: Yeah.

Q. You're obviously one of the youngest players here. Do you feel like almost you have nothing to lose? Like you said, you're an underdog?

ANNA DAVIS: Yeah, it's my first time playing the event. I'm here to have fun and just have the experience of playing at Augusta and playing here.

Q. I would imagine you're pretty competitive.

ANNA DAVIS: Yeah.

Q. Obviously, you come into the week wanting to have fun, but if you're in the lead entering Saturday, what's that going to be like?

ANNA DAVIS: No, I still want to win, definitely. But I'm not putting very high expectations on myself to -- I don't know. I'm just here to have fun.

Q. You seem like a fast player. Is that usually your style?

ANNA DAVIS: Yeah, I like to walk fast. I take time hitting shots, so I like to walk fast. I don't know, it's kind of my thing. I don't know. That's always how I played.

Q. Have you played Augusta before?

ANNA DAVIS: I have not, no.

Q. Have you ever been to the Masters?

ANNA DAVIS: No. It was my first time on the grounds yesterday for dinner.

Q. How was that?

ANNA DAVIS: It was fun. It was very green. We didn't get to see much of it. I was outside for about like five minutes, and then we went inside. I'm excited to go on Friday and see.

Q. What's one fact about yourself that people would expect from a 16-year-old, and what's one fact about yourself that maybe someone would expect from someone who's 26? Or 21 or 22.

ANNA DAVIS: 16, I don't -- I don't know. I feel like I'm pretty mature for my age. Like this past year, like in the summer basically I've been very independent. I've handled things on my own. I've been traveling a lot alone. So I think a lot of people look at that, and they're like your parents are letting you travel alone? That's a little weird. I think I'm a little mature for my age, and I know how to handle things.

I don't know. I feel like I'm a pretty stereotypical 16-year-old.

Q. What do you do besides golf?

ANNA DAVIS: That's a good question. Not much really. I like to hang out with friends and stuff like that. We'll go eat like lunch or something. I practice a lot.

Q. Do you have a driver's license yet?

ANNA DAVIS: No, I have my permit.

Q. So how's it work when you travel by yourself? Are you Ubering? Are you host housing or hotels?

ANNA DAVIS: Usually I have a host, or usually I'll travel with my friends. A lot of tournaments I go to -- like I just went to Sage Valley a few weeks ago.

Q. You stayed onsite?

ANNA DAVIS: Yeah, we stayed there, and they shuttle us everywhere.

Q. What's that taught you, traveling by yourself?

ANNA DAVIS: To pay attention a little more of what's happening. I look at my phone a lot, so like when I'm out in public, I have to pay a little more attention to what's actually going on around me because I don't have my parent there holding my hand.

Q. Anna, what did you end up hitting on 17?

ANNA DAVIS: 7-iron.

Q. You had 6 in your hand and went to 7?

ANNA DAVIS: Yeah.

Q. Did you feel pumped up at that point?

ANNA DAVIS: Yeah, I hit a really good shot into there. It was a tough putt, though. I didn't know where it was breaking, and I just kind of hit it. Yeah, it was good momentum going into 18.

Q. So that last hit on 18, could you take me through that? Did you know where you sat before you chipped?

ANNA DAVIS: I was trying to look at the leaderboard, but I couldn't see it. Yeah, I knew I was up there somewhere.

Q. You're hitting the chip, you're seeing it going fast. Just kind of take me through that moment.

ANNA DAVIS: I saw it going at the pin. I was just hoping it would hit it and go somewhere near the hole.

Q. When it hit the pin, what was that reaction like?

ANNA DAVIS: It was actually a little embarrassing because there was somebody next to me who was like, good thing the hole was there. I'm like, oh, thanks.

Q. Other question, how important is it to have Billy out here for you?

ANNA DAVIS: I don't know, it's fun. Like sometimes I'll go to where he's standing, and I'll go make a snarky comment or something, or he'll make a snarky comment at me. It's fun. He hasn't watched me in a while too.

Q. What's an example of a snarky comment?

ANNA DAVIS: No. I have to think of one. I'll like hit a bad shot, and he'll go, ooh, that was a good one. I'm like, oh, thanks. He's like right there.

Q. Do you think people in this field know who you are? Because you said you haven't played with any of them.

ANNA DAVIS: I think some of them do. I think from PGA and stuff like that, and just some of my friends are older. So they talk a little. Also with like college recruiting and stuff like that, I think college coaches will talk about who they're recruiting and who they want to recruit and stuff like that.

Q. Are you committed anywhere yet?

ANNA DAVIS: I'm not. I can't talk to colleges until June.

Q. Do you think this is a good showcase for you? Do you look at it like that?

ANNA DAVIS: Kind of. I mean, this summer was like -- it was after COVID, so all of the coaches had like finally come and watched. So that was my first time experiencing a lot of people watching me. But I think this summer was a big showcase for me.

Q. It evidently amped up your play.

ANNA DAVIS: Yeah.